


precious one

by onhos



Category: SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Veterinarians, Animals, Cute, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Language of Flowers, M/M, Minor Angst, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, jonghyun is adorable and shy, kibum is a sweetheart who buys people flowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-11 13:53:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19929121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onhos/pseuds/onhos
Summary: Jonghyun owns a flower shop, and Kibum likes to buy flowers for people he meets at the veterinary practice.





	precious one

**Author's Note:**

> hello!!! I haven't written in a while and I love shinee and I'm soft so I wrote this <3 please enjoy

The bell makes a small _tinkle_ when Kibum walks inside the flower shop. It’s just the generic sound of a shop door, but it seems slightly magical when paired with the inside of the shop itself - flowers are everywhere, in little pots and large crates and hanging from the windows. The sound of the radio is lulling, the gentle sound of music making the flowers seem even prettier.

Yellow, orange, pink, red, purple, blue, green. 

When Kibum opens the door, overwhelmed from the fresh smells of plants that is so bright and raw compared to the bustling dusty air of Seoul, the man standing by the tulips doesn’t even look up.

He’s bent over a flower, his finger soft as it lifts a petal. He writes something down in a little notebook, and Kibum thinks he looks pretty like that. His side profile is sharp - his dark hair curls a little by his ears. When the corner of his mouth turns up into the tiniest smirk, he realises that the man _knows_ Kibum is there.

“Enjoying the show?” Kim Jonghyun asks, loud enough for Kibum to hear it by the door.

“You wish.” Kibum replies.

They’re both in their uniforms - Kibum in his lab coat, a hooded designer jacket over the top, and Jonghyun in a faded apron, with brown smudges on the front that must be mud. 

Kibum has been here several times already, and by now he knows the crinkle of Jonghyun’s smile better than anyone. It still makes him feel warm to see it, though, especially directed towards him.

Jonghyun stands and walks forward and Kibum feels the whole word settles to just this one moment. Kibum could have come to any flower shop - this one isn’t even the most convenient, it’s half an hour away from the vets by car. But he always comes back here, every week, his hands in his pockets and a grin behind his eyes.

Just to see Jonghyun smile while flowers bloom above his head.

“What will it be today? Violets, daffodils, _roses?_ ” Jonghyun asks. He tucks a sole tulip behind Kibum’s ear. “Or tulips? They suit you.”

Kibum scowls, but he doesn’t remove the flower, and inside his chest is a warm, happy glow, the same kind of soft feeling he has when his dog curls up in his lap. Safety. Wonder. He hides his cheeks by ducking his head, but he can’t help but smile

“What type of flower means thank you?” He asks.

“I thought you didn’t believe in flower meanings?” Jonghyun sing songs. He’s already moving towards a flower, a smile in his cheeks as he looks down at the different colours and shapes. 

Kibum thinks Jonghyun always looks happier when he’s with flowers (he thinks that Jonghyun might secretly be a flower, himself). 

“I don’t.” Kibum grumbles.

“Hm.” Jonghyun says. He grins in triumph when he finds the right flower, “Here it is. Campanula. Means gratitude.”

The flower is a gentle purple, and Kibum thinks it’s _perfect._ Jonghyun’s good at what he does, after all; he’s attentive and talented, hard working and kind, the perfect flower shop owner. Kibum sometimes dreams about it - the way Jonghyun looks at the flowers, as if they hold the entire world inside of them. He wakes in the morning and buries his face in his pillow and wishes he couldn’t think.

“I’ll put it in a bouquet with Hydrangeas for you.” Jonghyun says. “One moment.”

When Jonghyun makes the bouquet, his fingers nimble and his eyes focused, Kibum thinks they’re a world apart.

But when Jonghyun looks up from his work and smiles so wide that his eyes disappear, Kibum wants to reach forward and touch him and minimise the space between them until it’s nothing. Hands on hands and cheeks and hair. Warmth that feels like the sunlight on the flowers.

“Who’s it for this time?” Jonghyun asks. Kibum thinks his voice sounds softer.

“Someone who helped me.” Kibum says. “That’s all.”

❀

_The morning is so busy, bustling with people and animals, and there’s no room to breathe. Kibum sighs and pushes his way through the crowds, the kitten lying in his arms. It’s newborn and just a little cold, but still breathing steadily. The culmination of the noise and the disinfectant tant and the people who keep jostling him makes a small ball of panic rise in his chest._

_He stumbles on a little girl’s feet, almost falling forward, but warm hands grab him. A smiling face looks back at him, kindness reflected in his crinkled eyes._

_“Hey, are you okay?” The man says. “Let me help you.”_

_With the help of the man, who clears the way for him, Kibum manages to settle the cat in an empty room, and he smiles at his saviour gratefully._

_“Thank you.” Kibum says. “Is everything okay? Do you need assistance?”_

_“Oh, no, I’m just here to pick up my hamster.” The man says. His voice is laced with amusement._

_“What’s your name?” Kibum asks, outwardly stiff and awkward but inwardly already planning on buying him flowers._

_“Lee Jinki.” He says. He holds out a gentle hand. “Nice to meet you!”_

❀

(“Come back soon.” Jonghyun says, later, when Kibum has scribbled an address onto a slip of paper and Jonghyun has written Lee Jinki’s name down onto his list of deliveries. 

_I will,_ Kibum thinks. He can’t imagine a world where he doesn’t get to see Jonghyun, even if for just 10 lovely minutes a week.)

❀

The next time Kibum goes to the flower shop, he’s still feeling the aftermath of anger. It crawls up his back, hot against his skin; his jaw is stiff and his eyes hard, even as Jonghyun grins at him, even as the flowers bloom.

“Hey, grumpy.” Jonghyun greets. He throws a watering can to Kibum, who catches it easily, a slight smile already beginning to tug at his cheeks. “Good catch.”

He doesn’t know why Jonghyun makes him so happy. Maybe it’s his cheerful nature - the way he omits sunlight and helps the flowers to grow. Maybe it’s the way he looks when he walks forward and ruffles Kibum’s hair.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Jonghyun says, sweetly. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” Kibum sighs, but the day still weighs on him. He feels guilt and irritation and exhaustion all at once. 

“Come on.” Jonghyun says. 

Kibum appreciates him. The way he doesn’t push, even though there’s a stubborn look in his eyes. The way he takes Kibum’s hand and leads him through the flowers to the back of the shop, where it’s quieter and there’s a distinct smell of coffee.

“What type of flower would you like today, hm?”

“An apology.” Kibum says.

❀

_The dog isn’t cooperating._

_He’s a little shy - he won’t let Kibum touch him, snaps at his fingers, is cautious and wary enough that Kibum can’t give him an injection. Kibum has been in many situations like this, so he isn’t worried, not until the dog’s owner - in sweatpants and trainers, still sweating from exercise, probably - disrupts him._

_“He’s fine, he’s just wary of strangers, just-” The man (Choi Minho, he’d said) touches the dog, disrupts Kibum, and Kibum feels irritation bloom in his chest. “You just have to do this-”_

_Kibum is exhausted. He’s been working for nearly 12 hours and he missed his second break and his eyes are heavy. And here’s a man, telling him how to do his job._

_“I know what I’m doing.”_

_“I’m just-”_

_“God would you-” Kibum slaps his hand away. “If you’re going to continue to interrupt me, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”_

_Kibum realises immediately that he’s misinterpreted the man completely. His eyes are wide with hurt and worry, and too late Kibum understands his behaviour didn’t come from disrespect or impoliteness. Choi Minho just really loves his dog._

_“I’m sorry.” Minho says, softly._

_The remorse is so sticky and heavy that Kibum can’t meet his eyes for the rest of the appointment._

❀

(Once Kibum has written _I’m sorry, best wishes!! x_ on a slip of paper, he feels a little lighter.

Jonghyun leans down and kisses his cheek. When he speaks, his breath is close to Kibum’s mouth, and everything feels hazy.

“Whatever was broken,” He says, gently, “Can always be fixed.”)

❀

The next time, Kibum feels nothing but defeated.

He usually takes such pride in his appearance, but his coat is loose and his hair is a mess, and his cheeks are a little red from the cold. His eyes are still a little wet with tears. He can’t even smile back at Jonghyun when he walks into the flower shop, his hands curling and uncurling in his pockets.

Jonghyun seems to notice that something is wrong - in a moment he’s leaving another customer and making his way to Kibum’s side. Jonghyun hands him his mug of coffee with kind eyes, and Kibum feels warm all over when their fingers touch.

Then Kibum’s fingers are wrapped around the hot mug and he’s sipping coffee and some of the tension in his shoulders eases a little.

“Bad day?” Jonghyun says, gently, “We all have them. It’s okay.”

“Thank you.” Kibum says, and he means it. “Today I want flowers that mean _good luck._ ”

“So you admit you believe in the meanings?” Jonghyun says. His smile is infectious - Kibum can’t help but smile back a little. 

“No. It’s just a matter of principle.”

“Mhm.” Jonghyun flicks his ear, teasing. “Whatever you say. These flowers are _Alstroemeria._ Wishing good health and fortune.”

 _Good health._ Kibum thinks of his god awful day, and his eyes burn again.

❀

_“S-Surgery?” Taemin says._

_The man had been in and out of the veterinary practice for a few days - his cat was ill, and it was clearly taking a toll on him, making his eyes red with sleep deprivation and his hands tremble a little._

_“Yes, I’m sorry.” Kibum smiles, encouragingly, but he knows it’s useless._

_“Will she be okay?”_

_“Hopefully. With every surgery there are risks, but I have high hopes that-”_

_When Taemin cries, Kibum has to excuse himself. He wants to reach out - place his hand on the small of Taemin’s back, or on his head, or his shoulder. But he knows, somehow, that there’s nothing he can do but wait for surgery, and hope it works out._

❀

(Jonghyun wipes under Kibum's eyes, his fingers soft on Kibum’s face. For a moment, Kibum things Jonghyun might kiss away the traces of teardrops on his cheeks.

“You’re good and kind,” Jonghyun says, “You’re doing so well. Don’t lose that, okay?”)

❀

Days later, Kibum gets a delivery of yellow Chrysanthemums.

The note says _Take care. Love, Jjong._

Kibum finds the flower meaning on Naver. _Precious one,_ it says. Kibum feels himself smile. His heart blooms, grows, twists and turns. He feels rooted.

❀

Next time, Kibum isn’t in uniform - it isn’t even a work day. His shirt is low cut, his boots make a harsh noise on the floor, his eyes are shining. He’s glowing in the flower shop, smiling, looking up at Jonghyun and seeing the whole world sparkling in his eyes.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?” Jonghyun says, cautiously, pulling a face at him from where he stands behind the daisies. “I’m scared.”

“I liked your flowers.” Kibum teases. He raises an eyebrow, and Jonghyun, usually so confident and so bright, flushes and ducks his head. “Feeling sentimental, were we?”

“That’s nothing.” Jonghyun mumbles.

“I liked them.” Kibum says, casually, trying not to let his adoration show in his face (he thinks he fails, if the pink tint in Jonghyun’s cheeks isn’t just because of the sunlight). “ _Precious one._ Loved that.”

“Stop it.” Jonghyun wines. He moves to hide behind a flower display, but Kibum grabs his hand to stop him.

“Today’s flowers,” Kibum says, “Are going to be White Carnations. _Sweet and lovely. Pure love._ ”

Something sad passes over Jonghyun’s face, even as his face widens into a smile.

“Oh? You have someone you like?” Jonghyun says, with over-exaggerated brightness, “I should’ve guessed.”

 _The irony,_ Kibum thinks. He fights the urge to roll his eyes.

“You believe in flower meanings _now._ ” Jonghyun grumbles, picking out the flowers, and Kibum, full of laughter and happiness and a warm, warm glow, fights the urge to kiss his nose.

❀

_They first met when Kibum was taking his dogs on a walk._

_It had started to rain, just a little, and he passed the unfamiliar flower shop only by chance. It was empty, and there was a pretty man with bright eyes sitting staring out into the rain, looking thoughtful and tapping his finger against his knee._

_“Hey.” Kibum had said, when he walked into the flower shop. His dog started sniffing the flowers immediately. “Do you mind if I stay here until the rain stops? I’m quite far from home.”_

_Jonghyun had grinned at him like they’d known each other for years. For longer._

_“Sure.” He’d said, and Kibum had thought his voice was a sound he wanted to listen to for hours. “You’re always welcome here.”_

_Maybe it had been love from that moment. Kibum had never found comfort like Jonghyun since._

❀

The next time Kibum enters the flower shop, his heart somewhere in his throat, Jonghyun stumbles over his own feet. 

Kibum watches him be flustered and drop a customer’s bouquet with a fondness that feels like a blooming flower. He looks pointedly at Jonghyun, smirking, and Jonghyun mutters to himself, the tips of his ears red.

When the customer leaves, Kibum makes his way towards Jonghyun.

“Did you like my flowers?” Kibum asks, softly, and Jonghyun coughs.

“I, um, I didn’t know they were for me.”

“ _Duh._ Catch up.”

“Shut up.” Jonghyun grins, suddenly, and Kibum wants to press his face into the space between Jonghyun’s shoulder and his neck and never leave, “Does this mean that you, um, you like me? Or?”

Kibum rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning so wide his cheeks hurt, and he loves everything about Jonghyun in that moment. The mud stains on his apron and the green tints of his fingers and his smile and his jaw and his shyness and his sincerity, his overflowing _kindness,_ the kind of light you might never find even in a million lifetimes.

“Of course.” Kibum says, “How could I not?”

Then he leans down and presses a small, gentle kiss against the corner of Jonghyun’s mouth.

“ _Precious one._ ” He whispers.

Jonghyun splutters and turns away from him to pointedly water his flowers.

“When I said you’re always welcome here,” Jonghyun says, even though he’s smiling and his cheeks are bright red, “I didn’t mean it. Get out.”


End file.
